Concrete Angel
by Relatively Unknown
Summary: Songfic-- told from Sasuke's POV. Sad, but comforting as well. Plz RR! It's not really that hard... Song is "Concrete Angel" by Martina McBride


A/N: I love this song, and I thought, hey, I'm on a songfic binge-- 

Shiva: _rolls eyes_ When are you not?

CA: _point-blank ignoring her_ -- so why not? I had to change some of the words,  
obviously, since it's written about a girl and Naruto is a boy (Sexy no Jutsu  
notwithstanding).

Shiva: Well duh!

CA: Oh, shaddup. I'll sic my sessy boy on you!

Shiva: Your sexy boy would run in fear.

CA: Well, with looks like that, I'm surprised the world hasn't run away from you.

Shiva: _glares_

CA:_sweatdrop_ Uh... Okay, no more notes, so on to the fic! _runs_

* * *

_MISSING WORDS_

I look back now, and it seems so obvious. How could we have not seen? Were we really  
that blind? I guess we were so used to it, we never gave it much thought. It was mistake, a  
truly grave error that only now we know the full impact of. There is no reward in beating  
ourselves up over it, but none of us can help but feel guilty.

We should have seen.

I remember how he was always late to school. He made a grand entrance each and every  
morning, to the point where it was routine and expected, but still, it managed to intrigue  
us. He would come in, scuffed up, ragged-looking, and in threadbare clothes, but he  
managed to be ever cheerful. It's only now that I know why those scrapes, bruises, and  
other marks would be gone by the end of the day... but that cheerfulness never left. That  
eternal smile never left his face...

_MISSING WORDS_

Iruka was hit hard, maybe even harder than the rest of us. It was weeks before he spoke  
again, or even showed up for work. He'd try to, but then someone would make a  
disparaging remark about how he cared so much... they'd say that it wasn't worth crying  
over, and that he should be thankful that the monster was gone...

I almost broke one kid's neck when I heard one of those remarks. He's still in the  
hospital, but no action was taken against me... I wonder if there should be. For once, I  
don't know the answer. I don't think there is one.

When Iruka finally did speak, he told us that he saw, but just dismissed it as the normal  
clumsiness that had always been associated with the boy. He knew who-- and what--  
resided within and knew of the quick healing, so he never worried too much. He told us  
that he should have.

He hasn't spoken since, and it's been over a year. Neither does he teach; we take care of  
him. It's the least we could do, knowing how much he was admired and loved by... by  
him...

_MISSING WORDS_

The last time I saw him... alive... we were atop the Monument. It was early afternoon, and  
we'd been give a break. I was dragged up there, expecting a nonstop talk-a-thon, but... he  
didn't speak. He just crouched there, above Yondaime, looking out over the village. The  
sun was still high and it made his blonde hair glow... as if he had a halo... The sky was  
the same color as his eyes. A bright, yet deep blue...

I could never understand how no matter what he went through, all the pain and heartache,  
he still kept that smile... I remember how he looked over at me suddenly, and how the  
smile widened... he looked back, and spoke words that were an eerie foreshadowing of  
what was to come...

"I'll miss it," he said. I asked what, and he replied, "All of it." There was silence for a few  
minutes, and he looked back at me with a sudden seriousness. "Take care of it, okay?  
Things don't last like they should... And cheer up, Sasuke. Life's too short to be sulky  
and cold all the time."

The next time I saw him, those blue eyes were closed, and he was cold. He knew. I swear,  
he knew. I told only Sakura what had passed that day, and ever since, on our day off, she  
goes up to that very place, rain or shine, and places a flower there. His favorite flower...  
the narcissus... the Flower of the Dead.

_MISSING WORDS_

We didn't find out right away. We waited at the bridge as usual, but he was not there. We  
went to find him, and found his apartment taped off and several shinobi police standing  
around. We asked, but they wouldn't say anything. When Iruka showed, we finally found  
out.

It nearly destroyed us.

I felt so numb, even number than usual. Kakashi and Iruka were comforting Sakura (and  
each other), so I just stood there. I couldn't feel a thing... but then I overheard a neighbor  
being interviewed. I heard him say that, yeah, he had heard cries and screams, but it was  
nothing unusual and he had just turned his TV up louder.

I was shocked and enraged. Surprising everyone, especially myself, I walked over and just  
nailed the guy in the jaw. I screamed at him in a voice that barely sounded like my own.  
"How could you just ignore cries of help!" I yelled at him. "He was getting beat to death  
and you didn't even care! You cold, heartless bastard! That was a life, a vibrant, living,  
breathing being and you just turned up your TV while it was getting taken away! How  
dare you! I HOPE YOU BURN IN HELL YOU WORTHLESS BASTARD!"

I ran from there. I heard the others calling my name, but I ignored them. I just ran.

_MISSING WORDS_

I ran and ran, not even thinking about where I was going. I didn't realize I was at the  
Monument, where just the day before he was still there, alive and well. I fell to my knees  
at the place he had been. I fell forward, gasping for air, tearing at the earth beneath me  
with my fists. I tried to blink away the tears, but I couldn't... they just came...

"WHY?" I screamed to the heavens. "Why him!" He was always so energetic and  
lively... he was the one who was supposed to survive, not me! I was the one who had a  
fate that condemned... not him... he was supposed to grow stronger, and live, and beat me,  
and become Hokage... Why him?

At the moment I didn't know why I cared so much. He was the annoying dobe, who drove  
me almost as insane as Sakura and the rest of the fan club, who would fight with me  
every chance he got, both verbally and physically... but then it hit me. He wasn't just my  
teammate and sparring partner... he was my friend. The only one I've ever truly had. I was  
the dark knight, and he was the valiant fool... he was the one who was supposed to  
succeed, and I was the one who was to be doomed and forgotten...

But things never are as they're supposed to be.

_MISSING WORDS_

Iruka, Kakashi, Sakura, the Hokage, and myself are the only ones who went to his funeral.  
Hinata forbidden by her father. She tried to sneak out, but was caught by her sister. All  
she does is cry... her father has threatened her, but she doesn't care any more. She's at  
Sakura's now... he threw her out and disowned her.

The headstone bears just his name, his birthdate and deathdate, and the phrase, "Things  
don't last like they should...". I had that added. Even now I can hear his voice telling me  
that life is too short to be sulky and cold. I try not to be, but I know that I must be until  
my goal is accomplished. Afterwards, I was the last to leave.

I stared down at that headstone, with little angel boy. It made me think of the halo the  
sunlight had created that day... The tears came one last time, silent and reserved. I made a  
promise to myself, and to him, that I would honor his words... but that I had to finish my  
goal, my dream, first. Until then, I would remain as I was. Some how, I think he knows...  
and understands... Call me crazy, but just like he knew that day, I think he knows now.  
It's comforting...

_MISSING WORDS_

It's been a year and half... his birthday is coming up... the leaves are starting to turn, and,  
though I never paid much attention to the seasons before, it is now my favorite time of the  
year, as it had been his. I go for walks just to see the colors, and hear the wind in the  
trees. I always end up either at his gravesite or at the Monument. I can still feel him at  
those places, and have even gotten in the habit of visiting his absolute favorite ramen  
place, even though I hate ramen still.

We've moved on, to varying degrees. I told you about Iruka. It's not that he doesn't speak  
at all, but for someone who was almost as talkative as his student, it seems so. He is  
slowly, but steadily getting better. We're there for him. To me, it's the least I could do...  
he cared when no one else did, and now we care when no one else will.

Sakura's shaken still, but both her and I are still under Kakashi's tutoring. We have a new  
teammate, and he may not be his predecessor, but he's still good. Kakashi's back to his  
old habits, including being late and making up dumb excuses. Hinata is as quiet as she  
ever was, but seems to have a renewed confidence. It's almost as if he... nah, things like  
that don't happen... but I truthfully wouldn't be surprised.

And the Kyuubi... well, he hasn't been seen or heard of, so we assume he went with  
Naruto. Ironic, almost... Finally freed from his pain, and the thing that caused him so  
much trouble went with him. I know he can handle it, though. I'm not one for believing in  
afterlifes or any of that, but I like to think that Naruto's up there in that sky... He's safe  
now, and no matter what happens to us or the village, I know we will never forget him...  
or his smile...

* * *

CA: Okay, a little note... I have a book that says that the narcissus flower is also called the  
Flower of the Dead. I don't know if it grows in Japan or not, but for the sake of argument,  
let's say it does.

Shiva: _still glaring_

CA: Oh give it up, you know I didn't mean it.

Shiva: What about the shounen-ai overtones? Did you mean them?

CA: Heh heh... Ah... No, I didn't. Don't get me wrong, I love shounen-ai, but it wasn't  
intended... and I know, Sasuke seemed a little OOC being all emotional and all, but hey,  
even he'd be affected by something so dramatic.

Shiva: _stops glaring_ I haven't forgiven you, but you did write a decent fic (for once).

CA: _sarcastic_ Gee, thanks... _receives 'the look'_ I'm kidding! Jeez. I hope I actually  
get REVIEWS for this. It's not that hard folks, really. It takes, what, two minutes?  
C'mon, ya know ya wanna! Click the little button, you can do it! _gives big hopeful look_


End file.
